The Go in Pokemon Go!

The GO in Pokemon go? 

Yes the Pokemon go craze has hit and I have something to say about it. Not much of a surprise since most of the world has something to say about it. There are those who love it and have anticipated the game for months (I never heard of it until just a few days ago), then there are those who despise the game, at least that's what the latest Facebook posts would lead you to believe. he haters are probably bothered even more now that it's a reality game played by millions all around in broad daylight! How could it be Pokemon on the street corners?!? Well I have a little bit of a different take that might not fit so well in either category.  Wait! You might be thinking I fit neatly in the, "I don't care" category but I would say: "I don't fit in that category either, because I Do Care.

 I do care and I care greatly, but it's not about Pokemon or a bunch of weird named creatures that I can track down with my phone and capture, and I definitely don't care if I ever control or own, or what ever you called it; a gym! So what do I care about? I care about my twelve year old boy who wants to win a gym, and he wants to raise and capture and evolve lot's of Pokemon's and he wants to do it with me! yesterday we went on a 5 mile bike ride came home and took a break and went out running/walking for 3 more miles, all the while talking about things that mattered (the in an outs of Pokemon) to him and so they matter to me! Because you know, we also talked about a lot of other thing and we exercised (hunted pokemon) for three hours. This morning we went out and walked another 3 miles doing, you guessed it; hunting Pokemon. 

 I think there is a couple of things we should all be excited about Pokemon go; first Nintendo has given us parents, grandparents, youth/children's leaders a tool to connect. I know we can connect without Pokemon, but with the popularity of this game I think it would be crazy not to leverage it for relationships, instead of thrashing it and everybody that plays it. Also the last two days I've seen more kids and adults out walking around than I have ever seen, and I'm not exaggerating in the slightest, and we as a nation need to move more! Being one of the largest Countries in the world we need the Go in Pokemon Go. Yes we should thank Nintendo for getting us moving more, I would much rather my son be walking around looking for monsters on his phone than pushing buttons on a controller or watching a TV screen for hours. 

  Yes I do play Pokemon Go, but no I don't understand or like the whole Pokemon world and honestly I never did. But this game that has my son asking me to go bike, run, walk and spend two to three strait hours with him is a winner in my book, so whether you hate me for playing or for playing and not really caring about the game I will keep playing (spending quality time with my son) regardless of what other may think or say. 

Junk-Drawer Syndrome

The other day I was going through and cleaning out some cupboards and drawers in our kitchen and I came across one of our two junk-drawers and thought it was time to take them down to one. So I went through and sorted everything out of one draw, by doing one of three things with everything in it: One: I put the actual junk in the garbage
Two: I put things where they actually went
Three: I put them in the other junk-draw.

Maybe your wondering how we got two junk-draws, maybe not, but let me explain anyway: When we bought our current house nine years ago and we were putting things away in our new kitchen, I said "let's make this drawer our junk drawer" my wife immediately said "no I don't like junk-draws". she decided we were no longer going to have a junk-draw, and this was the perfect time to do away with it. So as the years went by we would slowly add a few things to one of the draws in the kitchen that kind of sorta fit with each other, but not quite, and after a few years two of these draws seem to get more and more stuff that didn't fit and had no real connection with each other, and boom we had two junk-draws. So that's how we got two. But why I'm talking about junk-draws. First of all junk-draw is the wrong name to call such a valuable draw. Second the reason why we have them is because they really do carry valuable stuff, stuff that has been separated from it's purpose, but never the less is valuable. So where am I going with this whole junk-draw thing? Well a junk draw is filled with things that we found and we know they have value, but were not quite sure what their purpose is when we find them. But like I said they are valuable and they do have a purpose even know at the present time we don't know what it is, and we don't want to throw it away because we know it's valuable and when we discover what it actually goes with or is a part of life just seems to be better. We know that if we can put this thing, we found in the drawer, that someday we will find the thing that brings out the value in it! It already has value and we know it does but we just can't see it apart from what it was made to do.
  Have you ever found that perfect nut or bolt, you know the one that you could no longer buy, that could fix that broken chair? I have, it's awesome! This for me is a revelation! People are valuable way more valuable than the things we find in a drawer, but when people don't know and are separated from their purpose, we can't see their value, and even worse they don't see their value! There are people that have been put in the Junk-draw or have put themselves in the draw, and they feel worthless and misplaced, and others see them as a wasted life, when in reality they just need to be where they belong, where their value is evident to everyone including themselves. So I say, for the things that are laying round our house, that we don't know how or where they fit, let's go ahead and put those things in the junk-draw until their time to be discovered happens, but for people that have intrinsic value, let's fight against the urge to do this same thing and strive to help them discover the purpose that couldn't possible make them any more valuable than they already are, but will bring out the value that is already who they are.
  If you are reading this blog and feeling yourself like junk (worthless), I want you to know that nothing could be further from the truth! You were created invaluable and are loved by God and have purpose that brings a joy, adventure and excitement to your life! I would encourage you to stay away from people who would confine you to the junk-draw and surround yourself with people that will help you discover the things that make obvious the value that is already who you are.